About

2014 Conference Team

Conference Chairs

Christie Koehler is an experienced software engineer, technical project manager, community organizer and speaker. She works at Mozilla (makers of Firefox) as a project manager on the Developer Evangelist team. Christie is Co-founder and President of the nonprofit Stumptown Syndicate. Additionally, Christie facilitates two monthly user groups for women in technology: Code ‘n’ Splode and Women Who Hack.

Reid Beels writes code, dyes pixels by hand, takes photos, and thinks a lot about how things ought to work. He’s rather fond of bringing enthusiastic, awesome, people together to share knowledge and solve problems. Reid is Co-founder and Secretary of Stumptown Syndicate, the nonprofit that puts on Open Source Bridge each year.

Technology

Kirsten Comandich runs registration and helps with tech for Open Source Bridge. She’s a web developer and one of many organizers of the local Ruby meetings. She loves to travel, is learning Japanese, and occasionally attempts to read what Japanese developers say on Twitter. Kirsten is the Stumptown Syndicate board Treasurer and also volunteers for the annual nonprofit Cycle Oregon bike ride. In 2004, she ran the Zimbabwean Music Festival at Reed College and has served on the Zimfest board of directors.

Volunteer Coordination

Amanda Lane is a sailor-mouthed art school grad with an engineer’s brain. She’s been drawing, designing, making since she can remember. Obsessed with figuring things out, making them go, mastering their complexities. She currently does marketing for SparkPRO, a tech staffing firm. This is her first Open Source Bridge, she has previously worked with PDX Startup Weekend.

Logistics

Melissa Chavez is a data journalist who utilizes open source technology in her research, mapping, and reporting. She is also Outreach and Communications Chair and a board member of Stumptown Syndicate. In her free time, she documents street art, records locations of unisex and gendered restrooms in the metro area, reads noir investigative sci-fi, and admires people’s awesome hats.

Jonan Scheffler is a software engineer at New Relic, an organizer of Cascadia Ruby, and “like totally heart the interwebs.” He likes Ruby, Go, Haskell and playing with new languages.